Colorado nutrition program teaches gardening to get kids to eat veggies

A nutrition assistance program in Colorado is working to increase the amount of fruits and vegetables in children’s diets by teaching them more about gardening, according to a news release from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.

The statewide program, called “Cooking up Healthy Options with Plants, launched in March in child care centers and homes supported by the Colorado Child and Adult Food Care Program, a health department program that provides nutrition assistance and education to care programs serving low-income Coloradans.

“The CHOP program provides children experience in growing their own food,” said Tanya O’Connor, nutrition consultant for the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. “Gardening will help these children experience the wonder and bounty of nature while developing healthy eating habits for a lifetime.”

The CHOP program aims to teach children the behaviors that lead to a healthier lifestyle. In Jefferson County, 92 percent of children consume less than the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables each day. One of every three Jefferson County adults consumes less than one serving of fruit each day.

To change this, the CHOP program includes gardening to its nutrition curriculum and encourages participating day care centers and homes to plant gardens.

Learn more about the program here: Cooking up Healthy Options with Plants.

The Jefferson County Food Policy Council aims to increase equitable access to healthy, local and affordable food and support a sustainable community food system. To learn more about the council or become a member, go to http://www.healthyjeffco.com/foodaccess.

To learn more about WIC, which provides supplemental nutrition to families in Jefferson County, go to http://jeffco.us/public-health/healthy-families/women-infants-and-children/

A New and Coordinated Approach to Improving Jefferson County Residents' Health

In an effort to improve the health of Jefferson County residents in a more coordinated and effective manner, Jefferson County Public Health is proud to introduce the creation and implementation of the Jeffco Community Health Improvement Network, or Network. The Network includes over 100 community partners interested in working together to increase physical activity, healthy eating, and psychosocial well-being in Jefferson County. The Network was formed based on goals outlined in Jefferson County Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP), which was first published in January 2014. The CHIP is now being updated to reflect new partnerships and expanded community goals. If you are interested providing input into this plan update, please email Pamela at pgould@jeffco.us.

The Jeffco Community Health Improvement Network is an umbrella organization for six coalitions, or CoINs (Coalitions Integrated in the Network), using the collective impact framework to improve the health of our community.

·         The School Wellness CoIN is meeting monthly. Among other projects, the coalition is working with a variety of community partners, including Jeffco PTA, to catalogue schools that need funding for new or improved water fountains or water bottle refill stations. Students from Warren Tech are creating a video for the project.

·         The School Wellness Coalition is also helping multiple municipalities and organizations applying for Safe Routes to School Funding coordinate and align their applications. This will make their applications stronger, and will also increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the programs offered in schools.

·         The Healthy Beverage CoIN will begin meeting regularly in February, but is already collaborating on the water project and working across the metro area on a variety of initiatives encouraging healthy beverage consumption.

·         The Food Policy Council and Active Living Coalitions both held kick-off meetings in October and are now meeting monthly. The groups are working on mission and vision statements and formalizing the coalitions in preparation for on-going efforts related to health in all policies. Lots of information from these meetings is posted on www.healthypeoplehealthyplacesjeffco.com.

·         The Health in Early Childhood Collaborative has been formally invited to create a sub-committee under the TRIAD Early Childhood Council and will start meeting formally in January. Some members of this group are already supporting a 5210 Jeffco! initiative and members of this group have worked with GoFarm on a successful application to the Colorado Health Foundation to start a farm to preschool program in Jefferson County.

·         A new Preventive Care and Mental Health Resources Coalition is under consideration as an additional CoIN for the Network.

To receive updates on the work occurring within each of the CoINs or to join the Network, please fill out the Membership Sign-up form at www.healthypeoplehealthyplacesjeffco.com.